


Blood Runs Cold

by 0paque



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: "Mad Scientist Min", Angry Jooheon, Angst, Assassin!MX, Blood, Codenames, Director Lee is a badass woman, Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Guns, Hate Sex, I don’t know a lot about guns and dark stuff, M/M, Manipulation, Multi, Poisons, Seduction, Sexual Tension, Smut, Torture, Violence, fluff if I feel like it, kihyun also is extremely good at his job, kyun eventually gets pinned to a wall and its hot, mental health topics, oblivious Hoseok (sorry), pining Hyunwoo, pining hyungwon, rival organizations, slow burn?, triggering topics, you’ll have to forgive me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:41:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23599279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0paque/pseuds/0paque
Summary: Im Changkyun - Hellhound - is the best assassin for the underground organization Moonlight. Hundreds of completed missions and confirmed kills. Not to boast, but he might just be the deadliest man in Seoul.He doesn’t realize he’s been playing for the wrong team. That little detail is never made clear until he is given his next assignment:Kill Lee Jooheon and put an end to Unit X of the SSS.
Relationships: Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Jooheon, Lee Hoseok | Wonho/Chae Hyungwon, Past Lee Jooheon/Lee Minhyuk, Son Hyunwoo | Shownu/Yoo Kihyun
Comments: 34
Kudos: 79





	1. Codes

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is merely an introduction, a little background information. Better work of the story will be coming soon.

If one more person talked smack about how young Changkyun was, he’d kill them simply to prove a point. 

He had been trained his entire life and completed his first mission at the age of seventeen. That was six years ago. Now, a merciless killer at the age of twenty three, Changkyun had racked up a grand total of 283 kills. The youngest and highest ranked assassin in the organization? Absolutely, it was his pride and joy. Every order was carried out beautifully, his reward being a rather exorbitant amount for someone who couldn’t enjoy it. 

Being the best meant being busy. Changkyun often wondered why so many people had to be killed, but he made his living out of putting bullets in brains and watching all the red of their body seep out onto the floor. He couldn’t complain. It was all he ever knew. 

The boy had only ever heard stories of a family with friends and pets and gatherings. All his memories were manufactured, manipulated, forged. He doesn’t remember family, friends, or pets. He remembers training. He remembers disassembling and reassembling firearms when he was 8. He remembers learning how to use poisons at the age of 12. He remembers taking a life for the first time before he had turned 15.

Changkyun doesn’t know what it’s like to meet people for the sake of pleasure. Anyone he has ever spoken to has been a target, a boss, or a mirror. One of his most vivid memories came to be one evening in Busan as he was tucked away in an old, worn down building for an assignment early in his career. So brightly he remembers how his head throbbed at the searing pain in his neck. Every moment of unbridled rage and the white-knuckled grip on the old porcelain sink. He remembers curling into himself in the corner of the dilapidated bathroom, hot tears streaking down his cheeks, thin and weary from lack of a proper meal for weeks. This is the price he pays for messing up. The tracker, surgically fused to the vertebrae of his neck at the age of 7, doubled as an internal shock collar. With every mistake he made, Changkyun was docked two days’ meals, a week’s sleep, and was gifted with a horribly painful surge of electricity that lingered in his fingers for hours- no, days. 

Changkyun is a tool. A powerful tool. A deadly tool. Nothing more. Nothing less. 

The 962601 branded along his spinal column ached sometimes. The numbers were burned into his skin many years ago, and the faded white scar that marred his skin was plenty a reminder of his status. He had many names to go with the numbers scarred on his back as identification; Changkyun, his birth name, which he only knew from the dog tags he had when he was taken in as a small child. He also was known as I.M, which was a nickname given to him from his past bosses (which he never understood. What do those letters stand for?) Changkyun’s personal favorite name was Hellhound, the alias he had taken for the damned and the pitied outside of the company to know him by. 

The company, the organization, the higher powers he was hired by and worked under. Moonlight, it was called. Cold, mysterious, and healing. Changkyun trained for the sake of helping the world. He considered himself an anti-hero; he killed a lot of people...like,  _ a lot _ of people, and the list continues to grow. All of his targets were corrupt in every aspect of the word, so as psychopathic as it sounds, he was alright with ridding the world of another evil being. Changkyun was pleased with his work, and he did it well.

  
  
  


It had been roughly a week without an assignment; Changkyun didn’t know what to do with himself. He had never gone more than two or three days without being on a mission. He was so used to being on the move and lurking in the shadows. His phone, provided by Moonlight, rested idly in his pocket. Part of him wished he would get a call, a text, something to fill the silence of his apartment (you know, the one he never got to call home.) 

He ran a hand through his bleach blond hair. Moonlight kept him from keeping his natural black color, and although Changkyun didn’t personally find it appealing, he couldn’t exactly say no. He padded to the bathroom of the apartment, his hands slightly shaky for a reason he couldn’t say. He stared into the mirror, analyzing every detail of himself. 

Changkyun took note of even the minute details. The exact shade of the dark circles under his eyes, the small marks left from a brow piercing he had gotten on one of his Daegu missions. He took note of the sharpness of his jaw, the coldness of his eyes, the black of his irises. Changkyun stared into his own eyes, desperately trying to pick apart any hint of humanity or morality that he could. His heart rate picked up. Something about him was wrong. 

  
  
  


Changkyun needs to be busy at all times. If he’s not tasked with something, he begins to think. Moonlight can’t afford to have their best assassin thinking for himself. His deviance could be their downfall. 

The Hellhound needs to be controlled. 

Changkyun was a very smart boy. Clever, cunning, and intelligent, all characteristics that aid him in his work. Moonlight was an underground corporation dedicated strictly on taking out the hierarchy of CEOs, politicians, and those with the most political influence. Changkyun was of great use to them. With elite assassins hired to take out all the obstacles keeping them from taking control, Moonlight’s plan to slowly topple the government and replace it with their own web of agents seemed foolproof.

That’s where the Triple S comes in.

Triple S, SSS, whatever you want to shorten it to, stood for Seoul Silent Services. That damned ‘justifiable’ and ‘good-willed’ organization had a knack for putting kinks in Moonlight’s plan. An opposing assassination company would be the easiest way to describe it. That’s truly all that the work boiled down to; a competition, a race to stop one another and achieve their goals first. Unlike Moonlight, the SSS was a much larger network of people. Their assassins were organized into teams, into units and branches where every individual group seemed to be unstoppable. Changkyun had put an end to many of those units. The SSS was learning, it seemed, never letting their teams separate for long, as Moonlight’s elite killers were known to pick them off one by one.

It was a bitter cold January when Changkyun had first encountered Unit X. It was a fluke of events that led one thing to another, and soon he found himself lurking in the rafters of the warehouse, his seven enemies parading in with weapons brandished and malice on their minds. Changkyun had to think quickly, whether it be to escape or to somehow take enough down at once to tip the scales. He noted the weight of the cool metal strapped to his back and mentally reminded himself that he only had a single bullet left. A sniper rifle was extremely convenient in the situation, but the one shot alone would give away his position and leave him only with throwing knives. That was a mistake that could cost him his life along with the security of Moonlight. Quickly he scanned the area for possible escape routes, finding a single broken window about 8 yards to his right. It was a stretch, but with careful steps, he could make it. It was only a matter of time before one of the seven looked up, so as quietly as he could manage, Changkyun placed his feet in places he deemed sturdy and unlikely to creak or shrill. The metal beams were just large enough for him to balance his feet, and with each step, Changkyun’s success rates skyrocketed. With skill, silence, and luck, the Moonlight assassin hunched over beside the metal frame filled with shattered glass. Trained fingers carefully began to slip the gun off his back.

The first thing Changkyun learned in his training with Moonlight was that he was **never** to pass an opportunity to gain an advantage. If that advantage was having one less member of Unit X, then he was to take it. 

Blending in with the shadows of the ill-lit warehouse was almost too easy. Managing to send his only bullet right through one of their ears? Even easier. Changkyun might’ve joked that he could’ve done it with his eyes closed. A quick shot and a quiet exit. That was the flawless strategy. 

He could hear the remaining agents cry out in rage, in terror, in despair. It was music to his ears as he slunk to the shadows and crept away. He learned from those screams that his victim’s name was Minkyun.

To this day, four years later, Changkyun still remembers Minkyun and how his body fell to the ground.

|||||

Unit X was formed five years ago. There were seven of them for a short while, but a disturbed mission caused the count to drop a month short of a year later. Unit X, still in commission, is the top-tier Unit for the SSS. The members’ individual skills complemented one another beautifully. It was impressive to see them work. They had once routed an entire mafia branch in a single night. The list of accomplishments goes on and on.

Their leader, Hyunwoo (codenamed “Ursa Major”) always gave his orders and stated plans clearly. His thought process was thorough, detailed, and conventional. He often watched over the assignments and other members, only intervening when necessary, yet was famous for being the first shot of the mission without fail. 

The second-in-command was Hoseok, who took more of a bodyguard position to the other members of his team. His physical strength was no joke, and the “Thumper”-codenamed man was typically used for intimidation in physical confrontations. Hoseok, though, never killed unless absolutely necessary. Some would call it a weakness, others would call it a virtue. Hoseok had a good heart. 

Often under Hoseok’s protection was Unit X’s exemplary aim, the sniper they called “Mantis.” Hyungwon often was accompanied by Hoseok, as sending him alone anywhere might as well be suicide and immediate failure to the mission. Hyungwon has never missed a shot; his hands were steady, trained, and ready. His position when on missions typically resided on a nearby rooftop, Hoseok close by keeping watch as Hyungwon waited for his teammates to coax out any individuals that needed shot down. 

Minhyuk- “Bolt” -was rather fond of clearing buildings. He was often found analyzing structure blueprints of different buildings whenever the others were training at the SSS Headquarters. He took note of every detail: every off-placed beam, every slightly malformed window, and remembered it for future assignments. When the others were asleep, he was designing small explosives or triggered traps specific to whatever structure their assignment had provided to them. He rarely slept.

Kihyun appeared to be quite the vixen, but in reality, he was quite the opposite. He kept himself closed off and often refused to do anything with his team outside of missions. Kihyun had it rough before he finally ended up being hired within the SSS as “Siren,” the infamous assassin known to seduce targets before quickly and quietly slicing their throats. His acting was phenomenal; he put himself through a lot of shit for the sake of having a successful outcome. His team often worried about him, namely Hyunwoo, but he kept himself isolated out of fear that he would lose his team the second he learned to love them.

“Hornet” was Unit X’s master of infiltration and spywork. Jooheon had never killed anyone, which seemed outrageous coming from someone who worked on a team of assassins. Nonetheless, Jooheon had a knack for figuring things out and deciphering codes, tracking, and pointing his team in the right direction. There were many occasions where he went undercover and aided in the process of destroying organizations from the inside out. He was extremely proud of the work he could do within a team of assassins but never killing anyone. Most organizations only knew they had been infiltrated until it was too late, and every screen of every device was frozen with the Hornet decal in vivid black and yellow.

01:01 AM: New Message from “Unit X”

  
...Moonlight...previous mission...a step ahead...a lead.  
  


A new lead. Absolutely perfect. The sooner the SSS could take down Moonlight, the sooner the public would be safe from its biggest danger. The sooner Unit X could retire and quit killing for a living. The sooner Hyungwon and Hoseok could pursue a relationship like everyone except them knows they want to. The sooner Hyunwoo could finally talk to Kihyun and break down the walls the younger had built up so high. The sooner Minhyuk could return to a life of helping people instead of killing them. 

The sooner Jooheon could track down whoever killed Minkyun and happily tarnish his zero-kill record.

More than anything, Jooheon had hoped Minkyun’s killer was some rat from Moonlight. No other act he had witnessed, endured, or engaged in had boiled his blood like watching Minkyun’s as it began to stain the cold stone of the warehouse floor. The color seeping out of his body, his eyes open wide with his last unsuspecting moment forever emblazoned within his cold skin. He remembered Hyungwon and Hyunwoo immediately looking to the rafters, guns high and an eager finger on the trigger. He remembered Minhyuk falling to the floor and cradling Minkyun’s limp form as his cries echoed in the dead of the night. He remembered Kihyun’s quiet, desperate murmurs to any god that would listen, praying and pleading for it all to be a bad dream. He remembers witnessing Hoseok drown in guilt for months, whispering “It should’ve been me” as if it were a mantra to make things right. 

Most importantly of all, he remembers the cry of pure, unbridled wrath that ripped at his throat as he watched his best friend fall lifeless in slow motion. 

The bullet sits on the desk in his quarters as a reminder of why he won’t -he can’t- give up until every fiend working for Moonlight was six feet underground.


	2. Coincide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changkyun goes to get a new assignment and Unit X gets a lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was pre-written, so updates may take a little longer after this. Nonetheless, enjoy.
> 
> Both “Blood Runs Cold” and “The Songbird of Hound and Honey” can now be found on Wattpad. Same name, same author.

The SSS Headquarters was built underground beneath a complex of business buildings and factories. The elaborate layout and labyrinth of halls, offices, conference rooms, and training facilities was also riddled with makeshift dormitories for agents who had no solid home or needed shelter in between missions. Unit X resides on sublevel B7 at the end of the residence hall. There weren’t 26 units, one for each letter of the alphabet. More often than not, units were trained and formed by the higher-powered officials of the SSS and the only freedom the unit got was their title. When the original seven of Unit X were tested for work, the Director promptly noted their most valuable assets and organized the new top unit immediately. A leader with an effective and strategic mindset, a born protector, an explosives expert, a master of deception, a sniper, an intel agent, and an expert in distractions: with enough training and trust within the company, the team, and the mission, it was a perfect group. 

With Minkyun’s death, the group’s effectiveness and record plummeted. Not only were the individual members suffering as they attempted to grasp the devastation of the event, but the SSS itself took a blow. Their best group of assassins was temporarily out of commission and Moonlight had won another battle. 

Now, as they sat around the sleek polished mahogany table, Director Lee and Unit X were to formulate a plan. 

“Thank you for coming,” greeted the Director. “Have a seat.”

The six assassins never sat. 

Director Lee shrugged the act off. “I assume you have questions.”

“Yes ma’am,” Kihyun stated immediately. “I presume the first is understood subliminally.”

A small nod. “Yes, it is a lead in our work against Moonlight.” Director Lee said solemnly. She was always very understanding when it came to Unit X and their past...experiences.

“Tell us everything.” Jooheon growled. All eyes flitted to him and quickly diverted. Everyone was more than aware of how much the loss of a teammate affected the Hornet. The others worried about him most.

“To start,” continued Director Lee as she tapped at the table. “Recent developments in our tracking technology has enabled us to catch wind of a recent heist with the Moonlight insignia spotted on higher-quality security cameras.” A small slit in the center of the table opened, a hologram quickly flickering to life as the light of the room dimmed. A projected video clip began to play. “We were able to determine the make and model of the getaway vehicle, but we weren’t lucky enough to catch the license plate. Unit A is already working on finding that vehicle.”

“We manage to spot the Moonlight insignia but not a license plate?” Hyunwoo gawked. “Forgive me, Director, but isn’t that a little ridiculous?”

“Ursa Major,” Director Lee snapped. “You of all people should understand that camera angles and tricks of the lighting are all plausible obstacles that we will encounter.” 

Hyunwoo clamped his mouth shut and set his jaw. His eyes darted over to Kihyun as he stood by his side, quietly noting the melancholy, detached expression. His heart ached softly.

“Are there any specifics?” Minhyuk added. “In terms of other information. We have an HD traffic cam. You only call us in for vital briefings and for assignment meetings.”

“I’m glad you asked,” The Director grinned. She tapped at the table once more, and the security footage was quickly replaced with what appeared to be a witness report to that same heist. “We have a face.”

The members of Unit X choked on air, clenched their fists until the fingernails digging at their palms could draw blood, or simply widened their eyes as if the Director had grown a second head.

“Why didn’t you lead with that?!” Barked Hyungwon, his expression rather unpleasant.

“I had to get the lesser information out of the way first,” chided Director Lee. “I knew that if I lead with that then it would be all you could focus on. Your emotions are still out of balance and you still act impulsively. Calm down and remember that EVERY detail is an important detail. Even shitty traffic cams.”

Hyungwon narrowed his eyes and closed his mouth.

“So who is he?” Jooheon interjected, retraining everyone’s focus to the hologram. 

The hologram was a man, maybe in his early twenties, with bleach blonde hair and a narrow face. His eyes were sharp, dark, and hateful. His lips were thin but well shaped, and his nose was strong and sculpted. The assassins took extra note of the scar on his brow. 

The woman in charge directed her gaze to Jooheon as a subtle, slim smirk spread across her face. “That’s what I’m tasking you with.”

Jooheon’s expression remained unphased. “I’m supposed to find this kid?”

Director Lee nodded sagely. “Now we get to the details. Ursa Major and Hornet are to work on tracking down this boy, don’t overlook or underestimate anything you may find. We have no idea if or when these hints could connect and put us a step ahead. I’m sending Thumper and Mantis with you both should you need to work in the field. As for Bolt and Siren, the two of you shall continue to aid Unit A in finding that vehicle. The SSS will continue to develop strategies and possible courses of action so we can put an end to this. Understood?”

The six assassins responded in a chorus. “Yes, Director.”

“Dismissed.”

  
  
  
  


All Changkyun could think of was “hurt.”

His body hurt. His mind hurt. His heart hurt.

That’s unusual. Typically, he couldn’t feel any sort of pain that wasn’t physical. 

He was  _ feeling _ . That’s...worrisome.

Changkyun set his jaw as he took the sleeve of his black turtleneck and wiped his blade clean of blood. He quickly did a once-over of the area and deemed his status safe. His boss will be pleased. An anonymous lead had directed Moonlight towards something they wouldn’t have expected. A quick heist at one of the umpteen business buildings littering the streets made for an excellent distraction as Changkyun slipped into the lavish offices of Byun Enterprises. A few drops of this deadly poison, a quick slit of the throat and the burning of some gloves. Get the goods, get back, get paid. Easy.

No, not easy. Not in his head.

Changkyun was raised to be ruthless, to kill without a second thought. He’d watched so many people die by his hands without batting an eye, why was a single man affecting him this much? Just one middle-aged man, begging his coworker to tell his family he was sorry as he began to foam at the mouth and blood started running out of his ears. Even as he convulsed on the floor and coughed up all the red pooling in his lungs he apologized. 

Changkyun had never regretted killing someone. Not until now.

He wasn’t sure what was so different about this victim. He’d killed a lot of middle-aged men. He’d used that exact poison with that exact method countless times. He’d watched himself kill people more gruesomely than that. 

The blonde-haired assassin tried to focus on everything except himself as he trekked home. Home, at this point, was the upper floor of a shitty local business run by Moonlight insiders. Chipped paint, conspicuous stains, and splintered wood decorated the poorly-lit excuse of a restaurant. The old lighting fixtures and cheap bulbs cast a warm, unsettling light on everything it could reach in its pitiful grasp. Changkyun ambled up the creaking stairs, his feet feeling more like lead with every step. The bag strapped across his back -holding poisons, blades, and guns along with precious intel he quite literally killed for- felt as if it were filled with the weight of his sins. Guilt ate at his conscience. He couldn’t stop scratching at the scar left from the incision of his tracker. He wanted to rip it out.

Changkyun’s bed was very uncomfortable. It was always damp in one spot and squeaked if you even breathed in its direction. The moth-eaten blanket reeked of mold and every time he turned on a light, Changkyun’s room was flooded with the smell of burnt dust. 

_ It’s only for a couple days.  _ He chanted to himself.  _ Only one more day. _

He’d been repeating that phrase to himself for 2 weeks now.

Changkyun was supposed to have left 11 days ago, or change locations at the very least. The Moonlight cover restaurant still boasted an impressive array of customers, and that in itself was incredibly dangerous. One slip up, and everything could be ruined. Cover blown, plans revealed, death brought. It kept many workers up at night. Every time he was graced with a moment of sleep, Changkyun would awake with a horribly painful jolt to his spine and a black envelope slipped under the door. He didn’t understand how he hadn’t collapsed or died of exhaustion yet. He quietly wondered if the next shock would kill him. 

Today’s lovely little letter was in a crimson envelope as opposed to the usual jet black. Changkyun silently hoped that this note would be different, a confirmation that he could leave, hopefully. Even a new assignment would provide some level of relief, familiarity. He had never realized how crazy he could become after being in the same place for longer than three days. A mission would provide something to distract his body and mind, a wish both Changkyun and Moonlight never knew they shared.

Changkyun stood and snapped himself out of his drowsiness. The paper of the envelope felt strange on his fingertips, but he thought nothing much of it. He picked at the seal until he was able to tear it open, and pulled out a blindingly white slip of paper.

“ _ Ignus Macabre _ #962601: Hellhound: Report to the following address at once. Further details on your next assignment will be available upon your arrival. Failure to terminate this notice will result in death.”

Well, isn’t that just a bright little ray of sunshine?

Changkyun rushed to pack his bag and lit the letter on fire like he was trained. The ashes were left in the trash bin. The assassin took quick steps down the creaky stairs and bolted down the street, blending in rather easily with the usual downtown rush. His black mask hugged the lower half of his face and his (rather greasy) blonde hair whipped back in the wind. Changkyun fucking hated wind.

Three sharp rights and a quick left, that’s the last it took for Changkyun to reach the designated address. His eyes flicked from stone to stone of the brick building searching for the telltale insignia that would indicate his directions were correct. 

Ah, there it is. 

The young assassin stood beneath the brick with the Moonlight insignia, sliding his hand across the cool stone and pressing inwards once his wrist aligned with his hip. The block slid inwards, and then back out. The sound of stone scraping against stone began to resonate behind him, and when he turned to face it, the wall had shifted to reveal a slim opening. A man with the telltale eclipse-esque symbol embroidered onto the breast of his blazer stood before Changkyun.

“960126. Welcome.”

  
  
  


Jooheon tapped away at one of his many computers. Mission analyses were never his favorite thing to put together, but they were required. Earlier in Unit X’s time, a member had forgotten to submit their analysis. The aftermath...it won’t be discussed. 

“Hey, Hornet.”

The black-haired hacker turned to face the doorway where he’d heard the voice. There stood Minhyuk with a small folder and an amalgam of mismatched wires. “Bolt, hey. What are you up to?”

Minhyuk smirked, but his expression was confused. “I was going to ask you the same thing. Usually you’re long gone by this hour.”

The younger looked at the clock in the bottom corner of his monitor screen. 3:19 AM. Wow, today must’ve really rattled him. He knew he’d been dwelling rather heavily on the new lead, not to mention burning the face of that - that  _ boy _ Director Lee had been able to provide - into his mind. His hands faltered over the keyboard.

“Hey,” Minhyuk had noticed immediately. “I know you want to get to the bottom of this. So do we. Moonlight is filled to the brim with fiends and horrible, twisted people. The rest of us want to get rid of them for what they’ve done just as much as you do. You’ve got us, your team.”

The Hornet laughed. “You’re reading my mind, stop that.”

“Never,” Quipped Minhyuk with a broad, toothy grin. “It’s too much fun to watch you fluster.”

Minhyuk and Jooheon chatted idly for another few minutes, Minhyuk singing some old tune as Jooheon finished his report. Minhyuk eventually left, but only because he had to shove Jooheon into bed. Everyone knew he didn’t sleep, but he knew the youngest had to. 

It was 3:47 AM when Minhyuk left and a chill rushed down Jooheon’s spine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please feel free to give me feedback in the comments, I live for it. What did you like? What do you predict? I’d love to hear your ideas.
> 
> Much love, 0paque.
> 
> PS: Shameless self-promo; if you like Showki and club shenanigans, check out my other story: “The Songbird of Hound and Honey”!


	3. Moonlight Sonata

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Director Lee talks with Hyunwoo and Changkyun listens to Beethoven before setting out on his next mission.

“Do you understand, 960126?” The masked individual stood from their seat across Changkyun in the dark room. The Moonlight insignia was engraved into the metal table, and the single LED bulb illuminating the compact area settled everything in a discomforting blue light. 

“Assignment received and understood,” The young assassin replied mechanically. “Arrival at target destination is estimated to be 21:45 in 2 days. Mission involves tracking down the Seoul Silent Service's Lee Jooheon, better known by his Unit X alias 'Hornet.' Target is to be eradicated as quickly as possible.”

A smile could not be seen from the man, but a chill racked at Changkyun's spine. “Good. Dismissed.”

Changkyun, as expressionless as stone, stood and left the room with a new bag. Its contents were simply a portfolio about his target and new ammunition to be tested. No provisions, just the necessities to get the job done. 

As he left, no one stood in his path. Every masked worker stepped away as the Hellhound swiftly walked by, as if the young murderer repelled them like two opposing magnet poles. He was back on the street very soon, stalking down the concrete walkways to his next location. A cab was to pull up at his left in about three minutes. As he strode with near calculated footsteps, Changkyun's eyes scanned his surroundings. He saw cameras, as he'd been trained to avoid, wandering eyes, which he had learned to hide in, and the shadows, the darkness that he knew as home. 

It was 3:47 AM when Changkyun's ride rolled up. It was an inconspicuous model and had nothing too extraordinary about it, which made it perfect. Changkyun sat in the backseat, cloaked in his homey darkness, and showed the driver his branded identification, and the two were off. The blond's next temporary home was in the dead center of a rather lavish apartment building. He quietly let himself be pleased and even a little excited at the idea of sleeping on a comfortable bed, even if for a single night.

Changkyun thought about his next target during the silent ride. His expectations were rather low. If he was remembering correctly, Lee Jooheon was the one who'd been trying to bug up Moonlight's systems and wreck everything they've built. Though it was never vocalized, Changkyun had always hoped that one day he would be the one with the pleasure to put a bullet in his brain (or whatever vital organ that could be punctured with lead). There would be satisfaction in taking it slow, Changkyun liked making it hurt, but Moonlight's security took top priority. Assassin preferences definitely took the backburner when it came to pretty much anything.

Jooheon's portfolio, conveniently tucked away in Changkyun's current bag, contained records of his -of Hornet's- past attempts and past success in infiltration. A few images, both new and old, tumbled out of the tattered file folder and onto the young assassin's lap. In quick, analytical glances, Changkyun was never given the luxury of seeing his target's face. 

Jooheon looked bitter, hateful. Thick, trim brows permanently knitted together in both determination and rage bubbling just beneath the skin, plump lips pressed together decorated his well-sculpted face. His eyes were narrow, calculative, as if they were always taking in vital information. Changkyun guesses he was, based on his line of work. One of the few full-body images picked up showed Changkyun the hacker's hunched, languid posture, thick thighs, and broad shoulders. 

Lee Jooheon radiated a fierce wrath, and Changkyun thought it was a shame to have to eliminate someone _oh_ so enticing with so much potential.

_ C'est la vie. _ Killing is killing. Work is work.

|||||

Unit X woke promptly at 5:00 in the morning every day. Minhyuk had helpfully rigged up a few Rube Goldberg devices to help them efficiently start their day back when the Unit was first formed. The SSS granted what could be interpreted as freedom to its workers, providing a living space for each Unit and giving them time to themselves. The SSS knew the time would be spent to their benefit.

Hoseok and Hyunwoo were out of bed first. Kihyun followed suit soon after, keeping any conversation involving him concise. Minhyuk padded out with sleepy eyes after a short while, and Jooheon and Hyungwon were the last to trail out. A quick cup of coffee while others took their showers was of utmost importance. Hyungwon still sat on the couch in the dorm's largest area, eyes slowly closing and head bobbing in sleepy attempts to wake up. Hoseok walked out in his uniform a few minutes later, and magically the tall sniper was awake and lucid.

Every member of Unit X had a different uniform, the only true resemblance being the color black and a stark colored 'X' somewhere on the fabrics. Hoseok's uniform was always pulled taut over his muscular build, colors displayed being a simple array of black, gray, and a deep orange. The collar of his top cut off halfway up his neck, and at his shoulders, slim amber lines intersected and arced down his arms. Hyungwon was fond of Hoseok's uniform.

Hyunwoo and Minhyuk stepped out, each wearing their similar garments. The leader's crimson X raked down his torso, and Minhyuk's lightning yellow Xs were vivid on his large gloved hands. Jooheon, before slipping away to begin his investigations, ambled through to get more coffee in his indigo attire. The Xs on his thighs were a nice touch. Kihyun walked out after dressing, forest-dark X on his back being the only sight as he promptly left to begin his day's training. Hyungwon sighed deeply. Today was Thursday, and Thursdays were always the most rigorous training days. He dressed himself in his uniform, admired the aqua X streaking down the column of his throat, and set out. Hoseok was waiting for him in the lounge.

Jooheon was granted a few hours away from today's training to begin to dig deeper into the information Director Lee had provided. Under different, less severe, circumstances, Ursa Major and the Director would have no problem telling him to prioritize his training over work of that sort. Today, of course, Jooheon had a biggest trail to follow in the history of the Seoul Silent Services. He began his cumbersome work with checking the photo Director Lee provided for the basics: a hint to the location or date. So far, Jooheon was able to deduce the general vicinity of the photo, based on the sidewalk structure. Checking traffic and security camera footage in that area would be his next task. It was going to be a long day.

The training facility was settled on the bottom floor of the SSS East Tower. It was a bit of a journey from the dorms, but the daily trek became nothing after several years of traveling it. Elevators were nice, but after an encounter about three years back, Unit X often found themselves taking the stairs. 

The entire floor was divided into four rooms: stealth training, stamina training, melee combat, and elimination training. The stealth training arena was either brightly lit or pitch dark for practice in hiding during day or night, dusk or dawn. Stamina training involved complex and taxing obstacle courses and penalties built in if tasks are not completed in a given time. Melee arena was the most rigorous of the room, with a vast assortment of strength-building equipment and machines built for combat training, but the elimination arena radiated a cold, fatal, and serious aura. The entire training floor emanated a feeling that couldn't be described, but sent a shiver down your spine.

Director Lee stood before the door to the elimination arena. She wore her usual work attire: a gray longcoat with her dress slacks, crisp white blouse, and black dress flats. Her hair, deep brown and cut to an even bob, sat perfectly even with her soft and somehow sharp jawline. “Welcome to today's training, Unit X.”

“Director, what are you doing here?” Guffawed Hyunwoo. The Director smiled knowingly and strode up to him. Director Lee did not attend to unit trainings.

“I'm glad you asked, Ursa Major,” She purred. She strode up to the leader of Unit X with an unreadable smirk. “You're the one I need to talk to.”

Hyunwoo's expression was vaguely confused, but otherwise blank of any emotion. Just like he was trained. “I am willing to listen whenever you see fit, Director.”

“Now.” She said with finality. The five other members gave an amalgam of worried, confused, and pitiful glances to their leader as the Director whisked him away and dismissed the rest to train.

Hyunwoo followed Director Lee to a nearby office that had been cleared for what seemed this single imminent discussion. Hyunwoo had no idea if he was to be receiving a lecture, enduring an interrogation, or simply engaging in a discussion, and the ambiguity of the situation was rather unsettling to the broad-shouldered man.

Director Lee sat in a leather swivel chair behind a clean desk. Her face was now serious, grim, a stark contrast from her prior flirtatious facade. “Please, sit, Ursa.”

Wordlessly, Hyunwoo sat. He looked at the woman sitting in front of him, keeping his expression as devoid of emotion as possible. Director Lee crossed her legs beneath the desk and tapped her trim fingernails against the polished wood. The air in the room was tense, but the aroma of new fabrics and semi-new paint lingered teasingly. The office must've been recently redone. 

“My wife wouldn't approve of my flirtatious act,” The Director sighed. “But if my face matched the urgency and of what needs to be said, it would severely disturb both you and your unit.” 

This was worrisome. Director Lee was one of if not _the_ most steadfast and clear-minded people in the entirety of the SSS. If Lee was unnerved, then everyone else should be.

“I'd like to discuss the severity of our latest lead,” Began the brunette. “And my concerns about Hornet's...motivations.”

Hyunwoo nodded attentively. Only one thought pecked sheepishly at the back of his mind: _I didn't know Director Lee was married._

“You don't need to follow common protocol in here, Ursa,” Reassured the Director. “I would be most pleased if you voiced your thoughts and concerns also, along with any questions you may have. Now...

“The current information that we have been provided is more vital to the SSS than any sort of information we have discovered before. If my hunch is right, that boy we caught sight of is _Hellhound_ , Major, Moonlight's deadliest weapon. 

“The big bosses at Moonlight aren't stupid. If they didn't want whoever that was to be found, then he wouldn't be found. Knowing that, we don't want to fall into any traps. Moonlight takes a lot of risks, and their powerhouse Hellhound seems to make those risks worth it. My fear is that Moonlight intentionally allowed us to find that man, and that our pursuit of him is a fatal mistake, like walking into a field of bear traps.”

Hyunwoo pursed his lips in thought. “I would be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind. I don't want to put my team in unnecessary danger, but we have to consider all options. Say that, hypothetically, finding the boy – who could very well be Hellhound, Moonlight's greatest weapon – was just pure luck. It was an unintentional act, and Moonlight knows nothing about it. Then what course of action would we take?”

“Well, Ursa Major,” Director Lee sighed. “I believe we're taking it. Hornet is investigating with every ounce of malice he can hold in his body. Which leads me to my next point. I am growing increasingly worried about the amounts of vengeance Hornet seems to be able to channel into his work. It makes him diligent, but it also makes him sloppy. His mind is not clear, it's horribly clouded by grudges and rage, and I worry I'll have to reassign the investigation to Serpent of Unit N.”

“Hornet does exemplary work,” Replied Hyunwoo. He rubbed the back of his neck with a large, clammy hand. “But I've noticed he's more curt and bitter than usual. He was a bit of a pain this morning. Bolt had said Hornet was up hours later than usual last night.”

Director Lee nodded and her grim expression softened after a moment. “I don't want to jump the gun here. Hornet does amazing work, the best infiltration and hacking in the entirety of Seoul Silent Services. I don't want to take this from him, as I feel his drive is stronger than ever and I plan to use that fire to fuel our flame to burn Moonlight to the ground. All I ask, Ursa, is that you and your team try to keep him lucid and grounded. We're walking on a tightrope, we need to balance our risks and our plans.”

Hyunwoo stood. “I'll see that it's done. Thank you for speaking with me.”

As he placed his hand on the doorknob to leave, Hyunwoo was stopped by Director Lee's abrupt “Wait!”

The brown-haired man turned back to his superior with a quirked brow. Director Lee's wedding band – which Hyunwoo noticed just now – glistened in the harsh LED light. “How is Siren?”

Hyunwoo's ribs felt like a vice against his lungs and heart at the mention of Kihyun. “He is as he usually is.”

That was all Director Lee needed. “I see. Keep working, he will see eventually.”

The statement was vague, but Hyunwoo knew _exactly_ what the Director was talking about. And with that, he left to return to training.

|||||

Changkyun had slept a solid two hours before his new room was flooded with old symphonies. He couldn't find any speakers, but the jet black envelope placed on his bedside table was sign enough that the music's origin was not his biggest concern. Beethoven provided a series of soothing melodies as Changkyun watched his assignment letter turn to ash in the trash can. The blond was ready to set out almost immediately, cloaked in his deep gray longcoat and tight black shirt. The envelope held the address of his target's predicted stance, and after committing the array of numbers to memory, he set out at once. He walked there – a bit of a trek to walk – but was pleasantly surprised to find that his address had led him to a recently-closed office building. After his last mission, he was incredibly grateful for a convenient location. He noticed the SSS HQ's array of buildings close by, and wondered to himself if Lee Jooheon was stupid enough to work in an office with a window.

(Changkyun, of course, did not know Lee Jooheon was working three levels underground.)

Changkyun climbed the empty stairs silently. His tracker tingled, reminding him of the sparks on a string leading to a cylinder of dynamite in old cartoon. He kept his eye out for cameras – finding them and eliminating them was simple enough, even though their functionality was likely terminated when the building was closed. The quietness of the building was unsettling. There was no whirring of vending machines in break rooms, of computers tucked away in cubicles, or of printers wheezing to spit out poorly-inked spreadsheets. There was no idle chatter of managers or workers or janitors, and there was no electronic buzz of lights. Any light filtering into the barren workplace was that of the morning sun. It sent a chill down Changkyun's spine.

The young assassin was instructed to take stance on the fifth floor on the southwest side. He took note of the parking garage reaching his level out the window to his left. As he walked to crouch down by the window, Changkyun pulled his latest firearm out of his latest bag, and began to load Moonlight's new-to-be-tested bullets. The ammunition was cold to the touch.

One false step, though it felt like nothing unordinary, and the deafening blare of alarms sounded suddenly throughout the building. The door swung shut behind him and locked. Changkyun slung his bag over his shoulder and swore at himself, then shot at the doorknob of the locked door and kicked it open. Only the sound of the alarms was present, no new flashing lights or thundering footsteps up the countless flights of stairs. Changkyun ran, clutching his gun close to his chest and keeping a finger on the trigger. The blond let out a blood-curdling cry of pain after experiencing a series of vicious jolts from his tracker, but quickly continued to flee. Changkyun had made a mistake and prepared himself to face the consequences. 

The alarms in the training room blared. Unit X swiftly suited up after receiving word that the decoy building had succeeded, and it was Lee Jooheon who led Unit X out to the empty office building. The Hornet was ready to have the Hellhound pay for everything he had done, and a vile grin spread across his face as he hastily opened the door.

“Face your fears, mutt,” The dimpled assassin murmured to himself. “Come out and face me–

– _I'll put you back in Hell where you belong._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one is gonna be seriously action-packed. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay happy, everyone. <3
> 
> Much love, 0paque.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. The next chapter will be longer, more detailed. I am transferring this here from a Twitter AU I started. Hopefully any attention this gets here will encourage me to write more.
> 
> My other works have not been forgotten. Updates coming soon.
> 
> Much love. -0paque


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